Helmi Ben Saad

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Verified

Helmi verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• Professor (Full) of Physiology: MD (Tunisia), PhD (France/Tunisia)
• Professor (Full) at University of Sousse

Background The Qur’anic narrative of the Companions of the Cave (Cave Sleepers, in Arabic “Ashab al-Kahf”) describes young believers who experienced a prolonged, divinely induced sleep in a cave, as recounted in verses 18:9–26 of Sūrah Al-Kahf. This account, while spiritual in nature, presents details that parallel modern scientific concepts in sle...

Long coronavirus disease 2019 (LC19) represents a complex global health challenge. Survivors frequently report persistent problems like widespread pain syndrome (WPS), cognitive dysfunction, cardiovascular complications, and sleep disturbances. These health problems, which are worsened by oxidative stress and inflammaging, open the prospect of trea...

Background There is a lack of a comprehensive bronchiectasis severity assessment tool specific for Indigenous people that corrects for normative references established for the non‐Indigenous population. Aims An innovative bronchiectasis assessment tool is developed for use in adult Indigenous patients – the Indigenous bronchiectasis assessment sca...

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Spirometry-induced bronchoconstriction (SIB) refers to the paradoxical narrowing of the airways triggered by deep inhalation (DI) during spirometry testing. This response is atypical but can occur in subjects with heightened airway sensitivity, such as those with asthma. The present case report described a male patient who developed SBI in response...

We commend Zhao et al. for their insightful paper titled “Analysis of clinical characteristics of different types of lung function impairment in TDL patients,” which compares the severity of lung function patterns, including restrictive and obstructive ventilatory patterns, with the clinical characteristics of tuberculosis-destroyed lung patients....

Background/Objectives: Different strategies were proposed to enhance dyslexic children’s performance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of combined cognitive and motor training on reading, writing, and motor coordination in dyslexic children. Methods: Twenty-four children with dyslexia (9.33 ± 0.48 years) were randomly allocated to either...

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Background Studies assessing sub-maximal aerobic capacity in non-cirrhotic chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate sub-maximal aerobic capacity in CHB patients compared to apparently healthy participants (control-group (CG)). Methods A 6-min walk test (6MWT) was performed. The 6-min walk distance (6MWD) was reco...

Introduction: Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) is a pressing global health issue, with a notable increase in incidence in Tunisia primarily attributed to traffic accidents. The repercussions of SCI extend beyond physical impairments, significantly affecting patient mental health and quality of life, and pose substantial economic challenges. Objectives: Thi...

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The rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots in academic peer review (PR) has sparked both excitement and concern, raising critical questions about the future of scientific integrity. This paper examined how AI tools, particularly Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, are reshaping scientific PR. As these tools become more prevale...

Background: The 2023-2024 Gaza Genocide has generated notable scholarly discourse, influenced by various historical, political, and social contexts. These academic writings, rooted in the longstanding "war of words," illustrate how language serves as a potent weapon in conflicts. The present study aimed to analyze the academic response to the 2023-...

Aims: In Tunisia, during the Coronavirus Disease 19 pandemic, the transition to e-learning was brutal. The aim of this study was to assess undergraduate medical students (UMSs)' perception of the e-learning experience at the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse, and to derive some determinants of its implementation. Methods: Eligible participants were all...

This review aimed to elucidate the mechanisms through which (i) physical activity (PA) enhances neuroplasticity and cognitive function in neurodegenerative disorders, and (ii) identify specific PA interventions for improving cognitive rehabilitation programs. We conducted a literature search in PubMed, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and PsycINFO,...

Introduction Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent condition often leading to chronic hypercapnic respiratory failure in its advanced stages. Home noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (Home-NIPPV) has emerged as a key therapeutic strategy for managing stable hypercapnic COPD patients, improving survival rates, and enhanci...

This before-and-after design study, which was conducted during Ramadan 2023, aimed to compare salivary flow rate (SFR), potential hydrogen (pH), and electrolyte concentrations before Ramadan (BR), at the end of Ramadan (ER), and after Ramadan (AR). Men aged 20 to 30 years who were fasting during Ramadan were recruited from the University of Monasti...

The paper presents the most comprehensive and large-scale global study to date on how higher education students perceived the use of ChatGPT in early 2024. With a sample of 23,218 students from 109 countries and territories, the study reveals that students primarily used ChatGPT for brainstorming, summarizing texts, and finding research articles, w...

Background/Objectives: Different strategies were proposed to enhance dyslex-ic children’s performance. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a combined cog-nitive and motor training on reading, writing and motor coordination in dyslexic chil-dren. Methods: Twenty-four children with dyslexia (9.33±0.48 years) were randomly al-located to eith...

Introduction Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) is crucial to restore knee stability and function after ACL injuries, especially in physically active individuals. Despite advances in surgical techniques and rehabilitation protocols, the choice of autograft has a significant impact on postoperative recovery, particularly on muscle stre...

Aim To determine the influencing factors of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) perceived by North-African children/adolescents with type-1 diabetes-mellitus (T1DM) and their parents. Methods It was a cross sectional study conducted in Tunisia. A total of 116 patients ( ie ; 43 children and 73 adolescents) and their parents were included. The Ar...

Background Studies assessing sub-maximal aerobic capacity in non-cirrhotic chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients are scarce. This study aimed to evaluate sub-maximal aerobic capacity in CHB patients compared to apparently healthy participants (control-group). Methods A 6-min walk test was performed. The 6-min walk distance (6MWD) was recorded, along...

Background Understanding the epidemiology of soccer injuries during specific international competitions is essential for customizing preventive strategies. Several studies have reported outcomes related to international competitions but, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no investigation into the injury patterns during any African Cup of...

Background: While aerobic exercises have demonstrated efficacy in slowing cognitive decline and improving psychological symptoms associated with cognitive impairments, they may not be feasible due to multiple disabilities. Other gentle exercises with mindful approaches, such as "Yoga-like", have been explored but lack clear evidence. Aim: To assess...

Since the World Health Organization declared the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as an international concern of public health emergency in the early 2020, several strategies have been initiated in many countries to prevent healthcare services breakdown and collapse of healthcare structures. The most important strategy was the increased...

Musculoskeletal injuries during the “Initial Training Phase” (ITP) are a major medical problem faced by law enforcement agencies worldwide. Aiming to develop an injury prevention strategy, we examined the incidence, type, associated factors, and severity of injuries and secondarily tracked their evolution over time by batches in a police academy. A...

Introduction: The diagnosis and management of common chronic respiratory diseases depend on various parameters obtained from pulmonary function tests (PFTs), such as spirometry, plethysmography, and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO). These tests are interpreted following guidelines established by reputable scientific societies like the Euro...

Introduction: The cover letter is a critical component of medical journal submissions, often influencing acceptance decisions. However, authors frequently underestimate its importance. This narrative review aimed to provide guidance for authors on writing effective and succinct cover letters. Methods: We conducted a narrative review of literature o...

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Purpose To investigate the impact of beliefs in adherence to biologic drugs among patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods This was a cross-sectional study, including RA patients who were on biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs). Therapeutic adherence was evaluated arbitrarily using a self-reported method by asking them...

Background Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder that can affect motor skills and psychophysiological well-being. Virtual Reality Exercise (VRE) improves cognitive and physical outcomes in patients with CP. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of VRE on attention, vigor, and decision-making abilities in adolescents with C...

Background Misconduct in the academic community remains poorly understood among post-graduate dental students (PGDSs) in North Africa. Data on the knowledge of misconduct (KoM) level in this population is lacking. This brief report assessed KoM of Tunisian PGDSs’. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Dental Medicine of M...

Purpose: The pervasive use of mobile devices has precipitated an increase in musculoskeletal disorders, notably "text neck syndrome" (TNS), characterized by neck pain, stiffness, and dysfunction due to prolonged forward head posture. Traditional management strategies have focused on static posture correction exercises, but recent research advocates...

Background Misconduct in the academic community remains poorly understood among post-graduate dental students (PGDSs) in North Africa. Data on the knowledge of misconduct (KoM) level in this population is lacking. This study assessed KoM of Tunisian PGDSs’. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Dental Medicine of Monastir,...

The World Health Organization's declaration of mpox (formerly known as monkeypox) as a public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) in July 2022, followed by its resurgence in 2024, has sparked concerns about its potential impact on sports, especially contact sports such as football. Although mpox is not a pandemic (as of late September...

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Edition 2024 Association Tunisienne de Physiologie Clinique (ATPC) Groupe Chiesi

Effective communication of scientific knowledge plays a crucial role in the advancement of medical research and health care. Technological advancements have introduced large language models such as Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT), powered by artificial intelligence (AI), which has already shown promise in revolutionizing medical w...

Background The process of preparing a scientific manuscript is intricate, encompassing several critical stages, including pre-writing, research development, drafting, peer review, editing, publication, dissemination, and access. Among these, the peer review process (PRP) stands out as a pivotal component requiring seamless collaboration among edito...

Pelvic floor muscles (PFMs) are involved in respiratory mechanisms. Additionally, stress urinary incontinence (SUI) can affect physical function. This randomized controlled trial was aimed at investigating the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on SUI severity, PFM function, and physical function in Tunisian women with SUI. Twenty-seven i...

Background The process of preparing a scientific manuscript is intricate, encompassing several critical stages, including pre-writing, research development, drafting, peer review, editing, publication, dissemination, and access. Among these, the peer review process (PRP) stands out as a pivotal component requiring seamless collaboration among edito...

Unspecific back pain (UBP) has long puzzled medical professionals. Historically, back pain (BP) was often attributed to mystical causes, treated with incantations or herbal concoctions. The Middle Ages shifted towards empirical practices, though still intertwined with superstition, using methods like leeches and bloodletting. The Renaissance introd...

Moebius syndrome (MS) is a rare congenital disorder characterized by bilateral facial paralysis, significantly impacting an individual’s ability to convey emotions. The lengthening temporalis myoplasty (LTM) surgery is a crucial palliative intervention that can restore the smile in patients with MS by transferring the functional temporalis muscle t...

Background The process of preparing a scientific manuscript is intricate, encompassing several critical stages, including pre-writing, research development, drafting, peer review, editing, publication, dissemination, and access. Among these, the peer review process (PRP) stands out as a pivotal component requiring seamless collaboration among edito...

Background: To determine the effects of informing smokers of their spirometric lung-age (SLA) on smoking cessation (SC) rates and tobacco consumption. Research design and methods: An interventional study was conducted in real-life through a humanitarian event led by the Red Crescent on 9 January 2022, in Hammam-Sousse (Sousse, Tunisia). The stud...

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Introduction: There is no clear consensus as to what constitutes an obstructive ventilatory impairment (OVI) in pediatric populations. Aim: To determine the percentage of children/adolescents having an OVI among those addressed for spirometry after taking into account the definitions advanced by some international scholarly societies [British Colum...

Aim To determine the influencing factors of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) perceived by North-African children/adolescents with type-1 diabetes-mellitus (T1DM) and their parents. Methods It was a cross sectional study conducted in Tunisia. A total of 116 patients ( ie ; 43 children and 73 adolescents) and their parents were included. The A...

Background Plagiarism remains poorly understood among post-graduate dental students (PGDSs) in North Africa. Data on the level of understanding of plagiarism (UP) in this population is lacking. This study assessed UP of Tunisian PGDSs'. Methods A cross-sectional pilot study was conducted at the Faculty of Dental Medicine of Monastir, involving 147...

Background Understanding the epidemiology of soccer injuries during specific international competitions is essential for customizing preventive strategies. Several studies have reported outcomes related to international competitions but, to the best of our knowledge, there has been no investigation into the injury patterns during any African Cup of...

There is a lack of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) exploring the outcomes of cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programmes (CPRPs) on submaximal aerobic capacity of long COVID-19 patients (LC19Ps). This RCT aimed to evaluate the effect of an ambulatory CPRP on the 6-min walk test (6MWT) data (main outcome: 6-min walk distance (6MWD)) of LC19Ps. Condu...

Exercise mechanical efficiency typically falls within the range of approximately 20 to 25%. This means that a great part of the metabolic energy converted to generate movement is released as heat. Therefore, the rise in core temperature during endurance exercise in humans is proportional to generated work. Cutaneous vasodilation occurs when the cor...

Background. Laurus-nobilis (Ln) is an evergreen tree from the Lauraceae family, widely utilized for its culinary and medicinal purposes. Aims. This study aims to investigate the effects of Ln-tea (Lnt) consumption on lipid profiles and oxidant/antioxidant stress biomarkers in healthy volunteers. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controll...

Background. Laurus-nobilis (Ln) is an evergreen tree from the Lauraceae family, widely utilized for its culinary and medicinal purposes. Aims. This study aims to investigate the effects of Ln-tea (Lnt) consumption on lipid profiles and oxidant/antioxidant stress biomarkers in healthy volunteers. Methods. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controll...

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Background. The integration of artificial-intelligence (AI)-chatbots (AICs) into daily routines has raised concerns about their impact on cognitive health, potentially leading to "AI-chatbots induced cognitive atrophy, AICICA”. Aims. The aims of this opinion article were to (i) Establish a definition of AICICA, aligning it with the extended mind th...

Background: Research in sports medicine and exercise science has experienced significant growth over recent years. With this expansion, there has been a concomitant rise in ethical challenges specific to these disciplines. While various ethical guidelines exist for numerous scientific fields, a comprehensive set tailored specifically for sports med...

BACKGROUND Children with Down syndrome (DS) offer a compelling context within the fieldof human biology for examining potential lunar influences. While the exact mechanisms governing lunar effects are still under investigation, a growing body of scientific inquiry suggests possible connections between lunar phases and physiological, physical, and c...

Dear Fitness and Sport Science Professionals! 🏋️⚽ You are invited to participate in our Global Study on Football Training Monitoring Practices. Your insights are crucial in shaping the future of monitoring training and match loads in football. 🌐 To participate, please click on the following link to access the survey: https://forms.gle/mrmspEDCKfCaU...

Introduction: To enhance players' performance and implement effective injury prevention protocols and surveillance programs in football, it is essential to conduct epidemiological studies. Since significant disparities in injury rates across various football competitions were reported, it is important to characterize injuries in the context of the...

Introduction: To enhance players' performance and implement effective injury prevention protocols and surveillance programs in football, it is essential to conduct epidemiological studies. Since significant disparities in injury rates across various football competitions were reported, it is important to characterize injuries in the context of the...

Introduction: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of liver failure, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer, which can eventually lead to death. Aim: To investigate the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and iranian propolis extract on serum levels of transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily...

RESUME Contexte: Le review par les pairs est un processus crucial pour garantir la qualité et l'exactitude de la recherche scientifique. Il permet aux experts d'évaluer les manuscrits soumis pour publication et de fournir des commentaires aux auteurs pour améliorer leur travail. Objectif: Décrire les erreurs rencontrées lors du reviewing par les pa...

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Circadian rhythms play a pivotal role in governing various physiological processes, including physical performance. However, in individuals deprived of light perception, such as the blind, these circadian rhythms face disruption. This study aimed to explore the influence of disturbed circadian rhythms on short-term maximal physical performance in c...

Background: In the rapidly evolving domain of healthcare technology, the integration of advanced computational models has opened up new possibilities for personalized nutrition guidance. The emergence of sophisticated language models, such as Chat Generative Pre-training Transformer (ChatGPT), offers potential in providing interactive and tailored...

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Background Psychiatry is a specialized field of medicine that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of mental health disorders. With advancements in technology and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), there has been a growing interest in exploring the potential of AI language models systems, such as Chat Generative Pre-training T...

The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) applications in healthcare provides new possibilities for personalized health management. AI-based fitness applications are becoming more common, facilitating the opportunity for individualised exercise prescription. However, the use of AI carries the risk of inadequate expert supervision, and the efficacy a...

Aim: This research design protocol outlines the methodology for a thorough evaluation of workload monitoring and management strategies in football. Methods: The study involves conducting a global survey to fitness coaches, sports scientists, analysts, and physicians with experience in load monitoring within football. The research adheres to the pri...

Background Cerebral palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder that can affect motor skills and psychophysiological well-being. Virtual Reality Exercise (VRE) has been shown to improve cognitive and physical outcomes for patients with CP. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of VRE on attention, vigor, and decision-making abil...

https://www.latunisiemedicale.com/index.php/tunismed/article/view/4700

Navigating ethical challenges in prison medical research" is a letter to the editor that addresses the complex ethical issues surrounding medical experimentation on prisoners. It examines historical and contemporary practices, highlighting the need to respect ethical principles and human rights. In response to the letter, the authors propose compre...

During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, healthy adult Muslims observe fasting as an integral part of their religious practice. This dawn to dust daily fasting regimen for over 29-30 days involves strict adherence to various lifestyle aspects, including nutrition, hydration, and sleep patterns, which can potentially influence physical performance....

Introduction Long-COVID-19 patients (LC19Ps) often experience cardiovascular and respiratory complications. Cardiorespiratory rehabilitation programs (CRRPs) have emerged as promising interventions to enhance exercise capacity in this population. This systematic review aimed to assess the impact of CRRPs on submaximal exercise performance, specific...

Artificial intelligence chatbots may fundamentally transform academic research, automate mundane tasks, and enhance productivity. However, the integration of artificial intelligence chatbots (AIc) is impeded by a complex stigma deeply rooted in individuals' misconceptions and apprehension, including concerns about academic integrity, job displaceme...

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